Welcome Stranger Alternate Universe
by Chewie-Fan
Summary: Jimmy Hapgood has landed on the planet and is welcome by everyone... well almost everyone.  Irwin Allen created these characters and Peter Packer wrote the original story.  I'm just borrowing them to have some fun.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome Stranger Romance**

**Original Story by Peter Packer**

(Original dialogues in bold)

**Part 1**

"**It can't be…"** Don murmured at the sight in front of him as he and John approached the newcomer.

A man, an Earth human by the looks of him, stood on a boulder in front of them. **"Howdy,"** the stranger said. **"Hapgood's my name, boys, Jimmy Hapgood."**

Don stared at Hapgood, not believing his eyes, as John talked with the stranger. Hapgood wore a space suit similar to their own, though much older in design, and a cowboy hat, advertising his Texas roots. Hapgood invited them to take a look at his ship, 'Travelin' Man,' as he called it. Once Don set eyes on the ship, he no longer had any doubt that Hapgood was as much an astronaut as he was.

"**Early eighties design,"** John observed.

Hapgood explained that he'd been traveling since June eighteenth, nineteen-eighty-two.

"**What was your original mission?"** Don asked.

"**A Saturn landing, but I never made it,"** Hapgood replied.

"**What happened?"** John asked.

Hapgood gave some vague explanation of looking in on the wrong star – curiosity, he said – and stated that he'd probably been everywhere in the galaxy, but had yet to find his way back to Earth.

John invited Hapgood to join them when he was done securing his ship, and allowed Will to remain with the astronaut so he could walk him back to the Jupiter. As he and Don returned to camp, Don commented, "The girls aren't going to believe this one."

* * *

As John announced the presence of their visitor to Maureen and Penny, Don went in search of Judy to tell her the news. "Hey, Judy? Where are you?" he called. Don descended the ladder to the lower deck with Smith at his heels. Don found Judy in the galley. "What's going on?" she asked.

"You're not gonna believe this, but an astronaut from Earth just landed here," Don stated.

"You mean a rescue mission has found us?" she exclaimed.

"Unfortunately not, my dear. He is as lost as we are," Dr. Smith lamented.

"His mission was a Saturn landing, but he never made it," Don explained.

"What happened?" she asked.

"He didn't really tell us. It sounds as if he got lost 'accidentally on purpose,'" Don said.

"That makes no sense at all. Who would actually _want_ to be lost in space?" Judy commented.

"He must have an unusual sense of adventure, dear Judith," Dr. Smith answered. "He is a rather handsome, rugged fellow… perhaps you could use your… feminine wiles… to convince him that his wandering days are over and Earth is where he should return."

Don crossed his arms and turned his eyes slowly onto Smith. He took one step towards the man, and Smith hastily added, "Just a suggestion, Major. You know… anything to be rescued," and he ran to the ladder and ascended before Don could threaten him with bodily injury.

"He sounds intriguing, Don," Judy stated.

He turned to Judy. "He's as old as your parents!"

"Oh, Don… I don't mean intriguing in _that_ way."

"Then what _do_ you mean?"

"Just that he must be full of interesting stories, and maybe he's even been to Alpha Centauri, not that we'd be able to get there, or Earth, for that matter."

Don took a gentle hold of her arm. "Judy, you're not thinking of doing what Smith asked you to do, are you?"

"Oh, of course not! I would never do that to you… and, besides, it wouldn't be fair to Mr. Hapgood."

He breathed a sigh of relief, but something told him to keep his eyes open. After all, Hapgood probably hadn't seen a human female in fifteen years, and Judy was no ordinary woman.

* * *

When Judy and Don left the ship, Mr. Hapgood had just been invited for dinner and was gallantly bowing to Maureen, saying, "I'll be most happy too, Ma'am. I ain't had a good home cooked meal in… well quite a long time." As he rose, he caught sight of Judy who was approaching with Don. He gave a low whistle and mumbled, "And that ain't _all_ I ain't had since then." Although Judy and Don hadn't heard his comment, Dr. Smith didn't miss it, and tucked it away for future reference.

John introduced his daughter, "Mr. Hapgood, this is my oldest child, Judy."

She reached out and said, "I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Hapgood."

He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "Excuse me if I stare, Miss Judy. It's been awhile since I've seen such a beautiful face."

Judy blushed and Don looked on, crossing his arms in consternation. Hapgood gave Don a knowing look and added, "After all, it's been fifteen years…" He turned away from the couple. **"I don't know, sending whole families out into space somehow or other, just doesn't seem right."**

Judy and Don glanced at each other, wondering how he'd feel about their plans to have children once they reached Alpha Centauri. Hapgood asked to see the Jupiter, and after the men went inside, Judy noticed that Maureen looked at Penny and Will with a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Mother? Are you all right?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm… I'm just a little tired, Judy. Now we better start dinner. We have to make this a meal Mr. Hapgood won't soon forget."

* * *

Don made sure to impress Hapgood with the Jupiter's technology. A lot had improved since the time Jim's ship, 'Travelin' Man,' had left Earth. Don wasn't surprised when John offered Hapgood their navigation unit. He surmised that it was the best shot they had of being rescued. If Hapgood could reach Earth with a message from them, Alpha Control was sure to send what they needed to repair the Jupiter. Then they could be on their way to Alpha Centauri once again.

The navigation unit wouldn't fit on Hapgood's ship, but Dr. Smith suggested an alternative – the Robot's unit. After 'surgery,' the family and Mr. Hapgood sat down to their feast. Don was the last one to come to the table and everyone was sitting except Maureen and Judy, who were serving. Don noticed that the seat beside Hapgood was free and thought he'd sit there and trade stories with the old astronaut. Just as he neared the table, Jimmy held that very chair out for Judy and said, "You'll make a lonely man mighty happy, Miss Judy, if you'd sit right here."

Judy smiled and nodded. "All right, Mr. Hapgood. I'd like that."

'_I'd like that?'_ Don repeated to himself, but he shrugged off his jealousy and sat at the end of the table, to Judy's left. Hapgood told story after story, and barely anyone else got a word in edgewise. Don's jealousy crept up again as Judy gave Hapgood her undivided attention. He felt like the invisible man, which wasn't what bothered him – what bothered him was that he was invisible _to Judy_.

Don had never seen Judy flirt with anyone before, well, other than himself. Don watched Hapgood keep his eyes on Judy while he told his stories, and she would touch Jim's forearm every time she laughed. Steam was coming out of Don's ears, but no one, other than Smith, noticed. John and Maureen were preoccupied, and Penny and Will were as mesmerized as their sister. Only Smith seemed to catch his eye now and again, which made Don even angrier, but he told himself to hold onto to his temper. Hapgood would leave soon and things would be back to normal, or so Don thought.

When Maureen and John chased the children to bed, Judy offered Hapgood another piece of 'space pie,' which he turned down at first. **"Oh, not even a little bit?"** she asked, tilting her head teasingly. Hapgood found that he couldn't resist a beautiful woman, and he let Judy know it by kissing her hand. She glanced at Don, but he turned away. _'As soon as he leaves tonight, I'm gonna have it out with her,'_ Don thought to himself.

After talking with the children, John and Maureen made their request for Hapgood to take Will and Penny with him when he returned to Earth. Taking kids, or anyone for that matter, onto Travelin' Man was the last thing Hapgood wanted to do, and he let John know that in no uncertain terms.

Don had had it with the astronaut. _'First he flirts with Judy right under my nose and then he treats John like a… like a… well, like an unfit parent!'_ Don stood and suggested to Hapgood that he give John an apology, but Hapgood refused. _'That's it!'_ Don thought and swung at Hapgood with his left. Hapgood went sprawling, but was itching for some action. He tackled Don and the fight was on…

They scuffled in the dirt with Don not enjoying it half as much as Hapgood seemed to be. Judy couldn't stand it anymore, grabbed a frying pan and conked Hapgood over the head, who apologized and collapsed on top of Don. Judy helped Don untangle himself from Hapgood, but he was ticked. "What did you do that for?" he blurted out.

"You were losing the fight!" she exclaimed.

Hapgood wasn't unconscious for long, so he watched the quarrel that was unfolding in front of him, which he was enjoying almost more than the fight.

"I was not!" he retorted.

"You were being beaten! I was afraid you'd get hurt."

"I was doing fine!"

"It didn't _look_ like you were doing fine. Every time you got on top, he just flipped you right back over!"

"I don't need a play by play…" He glared at her and then stomped away.

Judy let out an exasperated sigh and watched his back retreat into the ship. She folded her arms and was tempted to follow him, but she was too angry. Hapgood groaned as he got to his feet. "You got quite an arm there, little lady. Hurt me almost as much as you hurt him just now."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hapgood, but someone had to end that ridiculous fight."

"You mighta let us have it out… It's good for the soul… Just like cryin' is for ladies. You'd best go apologize to him."

"And what makes _you_ such an expert?"

"I'm a man, ain't I?"

* * *

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

After cleaning up the dinner dishes, Judy decided to turn in for the night and had no intention of apologizing to Don. He had made a point of staying out of her way, and as far as she was concerned, he was the one who should be apologizing to her. Her hands were full of her toiletries as she exited the lavatory and ran head first into Don. He caught her bottles before they fell and she muttered, "Excuse me. I'll take them now."

He held onto the items and stood his ground. "Is that all you have to say?" he asked.

"I am not apologizing, if that's what you're waiting for."

"Maybe I'm not looking for an apology, but I would like to know what was going on with you tonight."

"What was going on with _me_? You're the one who got into a fist fight!"

"And you're the one who was flirting!"

"Flirting? I was not flirting."

"More space pie… not even a little bit?" Don imitated. "What would you call that?"

"I was just being nice to him. After everything he's been through, I thought he would appreciate a little kindness."

"I'm as kind as the next guy, but I'm not into sharing my…"

"Sharing your _what_, Don," she interrupted. "Your _woman_?" She grabbed the bottles from his hands. "You're such a… a caveman!" she spit out and fled to her room.

Don watched her leave, incredulous at her attitude. _'Caveman! Where the hell did __that__ come from?' _Instead of going to bed, he climbed the ladder to the upper deck. Sitting in his pilot's chair always settled him down, but he found John sitting there staring out of the viewport. "John? You ok?" he asked.

"No." John glanced up at him. "How's your lip?"

Don had forgotten about his split lip. "Ah, it's fine. Thinking about the kids?"

"Yes. Hapgood hit a nerve with his talk of there being no gas stations out here in space."

Don sat in the seat across from his friend. "Look, John, none of us thought we would end up lost out here."

"But I knew it was a possibility. Even if we reach Alpha Centauri, they'll still be growing up alone. I should have left them with Maureen's sister, Colleen. She practically raised Judy until we moved to Houston."

"And break up the family? John, the purpose of this mission was… _is… _for a _family_ to colonize Alpha Prime."

"At what price, Don… Penny and Will's future happiness? Judy has you… who will Penny have?"

"The plan was for other families to follow us."

"Have you thought about what would happen to your own children, Don? It's one thing for a man – alone – like Hapgood, to explore space to satisfy his own curiosity, but would you want your own children to be raised in a space ship or on a God-forsaken planet like this one?"

Don couldn't reply right away. He had occasionally worried about what would happen to Penny and Will if they became adults while stranded in space, but he hadn't thought about his own children. He had to answer honestly. "No, John, I wouldn't."

"That's what I thought."

Don was lost in images of his own children… His and Judy's… A blond, green eyed sweetheart sitting in grandpa's lap… A brown haired, blue eyed hellion sticking his tongue out at Dr. Smith… He smiled at that one and came back to reality. "Look, John… we are where we are… The only thing we can do is take each day as it comes and pray that we'll get where we need to be – one way or another. I mean, we've been doing all right up to this point. We've got to keep believing that we'll make it to Alpha Centauri and that other families will follow. Judy and I are counting on that…"

"You mean to tell me that you and Judy are willing to wait until we reach Alpha Centauri to get married?"

"Well, as of right now, yeah…"

"What if things don't change?"

"We'll deal with it…"

"You'll deal with it," John whispered, more to himself than Don. "Ah, the enthusiasm of youth," he said with a sad smile.

Don laughed. "You're not a grandpa – yet."

John gave him a teasingly stern look. "And it better stay that way for a long, long time."

Don turned serious. "Well, if things stay the way they are tonight – it may never happen."

"Trouble?" John asked, concerned.

Don shrugged. "I guess I should apologize to her."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but yes, you should – whether you're right or wrong."

"Is that advice from my friend, Judy's father, or the mission commander?"

"That's advice from a married man… who adores his wife…"

* * *

When Maureen poured the coffee for John and Don, she noted that both men were rather somber that morning. She knew John was still disappointed about Hapgood not taking the children, she, however, was relieved. When Judy came to the table, she gave them all a general 'good morning,' but didn't look at Don at all.

Don rose and took the coffee pot from Maureen and poured a mug for Judy. He handed it to her rather sheepishly and said, "Accept a cup from a Neanderthal?"

"Only if you're not going to drag me to your cave by the hair," she replied.

He chuckled and held up two fingers. "Promise… scouts honor."

She took the cup and added, "By the way… I'm sorry, too."

Maureen gave a welcome sigh. Things were back to 'normal,' and she was happy for it. She caught John's eye and smiled, and he nodded in agreement.

* * *

'Normal' lasted for about thirty minutes. As Don and John were setting up the drill, they lost their grip and it hit Mr. Hapgood in the back, causing him pain, and concern that he wouldn't make his lift off time that evening. Guilt that he owed the Robinsons for taking such good care of him weighed on his mind. Not only did he recover in time for lift-off, he agreed to take Will and Penny with him. **"It's a real good thing you're doing, Hap,"** Don said and shook his hand.

As Judy and Don walked back to the ship, she clasped his hand and stopped him when they were half-way to the Jupiter. "Don? That was a kind thing for you to say to Mr. Hapgood."

"Well, I'm not such a bad guy, you know. Besides, he really is doing the right thing."

"I'm going to miss them…"

"Yeah, me too."

* * *

Dr. Smith was beside himself and tried to talk Hapgood into taking him back to Earth instead of the children, but Hapgood could not be swayed, so Smith enacted his secondary plan. He knew the children didn't want to leave. It wouldn't take much to manipulate them into running away before launch time, and he would be standing outside Travelin' Man ready to take their place.

* * *

As Dr. Smith predicted, Penny and Will were nowhere to be found when it was time to leave. As John, Maureen and Don searched for them, Judy tried to talk Hapgood into waiting. "Mr. Hapgood, we're still looking for the children… **If you could just hold up a little bit longer."**

"**Look, Honey, if I delay past my launch time, I may never get off this piece of real estate,"** Hapgood responded.

"**But, Mr. Hapgood, they're bound to find them."**

"**I'm real sorry, but if I don't have passengers aboard in twenty minutes, it's gonna have to be a solo flight."**

Judy stopped and tried to think of a way to buy more time. She tried another tactic. "Mr. Hapgood – Jim – there will be another window for your lift-off sooner or later. Staying with us awhile longer wouldn't be all that terrible, would it?"

"Well, now, sugar, I don't know. I've been thinking about getting my own piece of real estate back home."

"You can still do that… You've been gone for fifteen years… what's a few more months? And you can share our real estate right here until the time is right to launch again."

"Well, now… you do have a point there," he answered. Then he mumbled, mostly to himself, "And what's the good of settling down when you have nobody to settle with…"

Hapgood jumped when he heard pounding on the hatch. "What the…"

Smith was waving in his window. "Mr. Hapgood. I'm here to take the children's place."

Hapgood smirked at the man. Maybe Judy was right. A few more months with the Robinsons wouldn't be so bad. Who knew if he had any family left back home anyway? He certainly had no woman to share his life with. All he knew was that he felt more at home here than he had anywhere else in space.

Hapgood shut down the engines. "All right. You win, little darlin'. I never could say 'no' to a beautiful woman."

* * *

And now onto the AU…


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome Stranger Challenge**

**Chapter 3**

Jimmy Hapgood opened the hatch and Dr. Smith made his move to enter, but Hapgood pushed him aside and left his ship. "Mr. Hapgood? Mr. Hapgood! Where are you going? Come back… You can't miss you're lift-off time!" Smith exclaimed.

"Zip it, Zach! There ain't gonna be any lift-off tonight," Hapgood said, "Not without them kids."

Smith watched him walk towards the Robinson's camp and muttered, "Oh, the pain… the pain…"

Hapgood strode to the Jupiter and found Judy smiling broadly outside the ship, waiting for him. "I knew you couldn't leave without them," she stated.

"Well, little lady, it was that sweet, sweet voice of yours that made me wait," he said.

* * *

John, Maureen and Don found the children, and Penny told her parents she was sure that they really didn't want her and Will to leave, but her father hadn't given up yet and told Don, "Run back to the Jupiter and have Judy radio Hapgood that we found them. Maureen and I will get the children to his ship."

Don nodded and took off for the Jupiter. When he got close to the ship, he was surprised to see Hapgood standing in front of Judy, and was even more surprised when she threw her arms around Hapgood and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Mr. Hapgood," she said.

The astronaut put his hands on either side of her waist and smiled. "Ah, twern't nothin' – and no more of that Mr. Hapgood stuff, now, ya hear?"

She blushed and said, "All right… Jim."

Don cleared his throat as he approached and asked, "What happened?"

Judy unwrapped her arms from Hapgood's shoulders, but he kept an arm around her waist and said, "Well, Don, this pretty little lady here convinced me to hold up and wait until the next window opens up. Heck, there's got to be another window sooner or later, right?"

"Uh, yeah… sooner or later…" Don replied. He gave Judy a questioning look, but reminded himself, _'Don't be a caveman.'_

The rest of the family came running into camp, Dr. Smith dragging his tail behind them. "Jim! You'll miss your launch window," John stated.

"Already missed it, John, and you can thank your lovely daughter for keepin' me here."

John shook Jim's hand. "Thank you, Jim. How can we ever repay you?"

"Just a good meal now and then."

"You got it. By the way, can we help you set-up your camp?"

"Not much to set-up… I just sleep under the stars."

"You're welcome to sleep in the Jupiter. Dr. Smith, Don and Will all have a second bunk in their cabins. You can have your choice."

"You can stay with me, Mr. Hapgood," Will exclaimed.

"Well, now, thanks for the invitation, but I'm gonna head back to Travelin' Man and set up like I usually do." He noticed that Don hadn't taken his eyes off Judy. "I don't want to wear out my welcome."

As Hapgood left the camp, Maureen called after him. "See you at breakfast?"

He turned and walked backwards a few steps, replying, "Gladly, Ma'am."

"Now, Jim, you're practically one of the family – you can call me Maureen – just like you did at dinner."

He grinned and nodded. Before turning back he caught Judy's eye. She waved to him and lifted her shoulders up to her ears in the most endearing way. His feet lost track of where he was and he backed smack into a boulder. Embarrassed at being caught staring, he gave one last wave and hurried back to his ship.

"I can't believe he stayed," Maureen stated.

"Neither can I," Don said. He asked Judy, "What did you say to him to get him to stay?"

"Oh, just that it wouldn't be so terrible to spend more time with us," she replied.

"Ah, so you used your… 'feminine wiles'…"

"Don! I resent that."

It was obvious that an argument was brewing, so Maureen ordered the children inside to prepare for bed, and Dr. Smith followed behind them like a third child. She sensed that John intended to stay and intervene, so she took his arm and nudged him into the Jupiter. Don and Judy needed to sort this one out on their own.

Judy had her arms crossed, ready for battle and waited for his reply, but Don wasn't so sure he wanted a battle and said, "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to sound…"

"Like a caveman?"

He grinned for the first time that evening and nodded. "Yeah, like a caveman." He almost felt like he was on his first date with her again. "Hey, would you like to take a walk with me?"

She smiled and took his arm. Looking up at him, she tilted her head and replied, "Yes, I would."

As they walked away from the Jupiter, he kept his eyes open for a romantic spot, but none came into view. "Hey, I, uh, I never thanked you for jumping into that fist fight yesterday," Don said.

"Are you sure you _want_ to thank me?" Judy asked.

He looked up at the stars. "No… but he _was_ beating me."

"I should apologize to him, shouldn't I?"

"Just… just be careful, Judy. He likes you. He likes you a lot."

"I like him too."

"You do, huh? As much as you like me?"

"Don… this is not a competition."

"I just need to know where I stand."

"You stand where you've always stood."

He stopped walking and turned her to face him. "And where's that?"

She put her arms on his shoulders and said, "You know."

"I'm not so sure anymore. Why don't you show me?"

She leaned into him and he brought his arms around her waist as their lips met.

When they parted, he said, "Promise me you'll let me know if things change."

"They won't," she assured him.

He knew better than anyone how easy it was to be mesmerized by Judy's charms, and he couldn't blame Hap for falling for her. He just hoped that Hapgood wasn't falling in too deep. He didn't want to see anyone get hurt… including himself.

* * *

Breakfast went overtime the next morning. Will decided that it was the most fun he'd had in a long, long time. Hapgood was the best storyteller he'd ever heard. "Mr. Hapgood, do you know anything about the Taurons?"

"Those people who don't talk? Oh, yeah. Now there's a friendly race. They have to be the most polite people I've ever run into. I remember this time…"

"Bah!" Smith interjected. "They are a hostile, untrusting group."

"Now, that ain't true, Zach. You just gotta get used to readin' their ways."

"How did you communicate with them, Mr. Hapgood?" Penny asked.

"Sigh language mostly. They can actually read each others' minds."

"Could they read your mind?" she asked.

"I don't rightly know… They always seemed to know what I was thinkin' though. There was this one pretty girl…" He glanced at Penny and Will and said, "But that's not a story I should tell right now…"

"No, tell us!" Penny urged.

"It's not a story for kids. Now, I bet _you'd_ be able to communicate with them… you _and _Judy. You have to be a trustin' sort, you know, not afraid to let others know what's going on in your mind. Will too, I bet."

"I think you're right, Mr. Hapgood," Will said. "The Tauron boy and I became friends real easily. I bet that, with enough time, we would have learned to read each others' thoughts. I wish they could have stayed."

John was as fascinated as the children with Mr. Hapgood's stories, but there was work to be done. "I'd love to hear more, Jim, but Don and I have to start the drilling today." He gave the children a stern expression. "And I know that there are chores to be done around here."

"Yes, sir," Will stated.

"Ah, Hap, I'd like to spend some time with you later charting where you've been. We could add it to the navigational computer," Don stated.

"Sure thing, Don. I've got some charts of my own that I've already plotted. I'll bring them over tonight."

"How about bringing them over at lunch, Jim? You might as well get used to spending all your meals with us," Maureen suggested.

"I can cook a few too. I bet you've never had a good, barbecued, Texas-sized side of beef."

"And where would we get the beef, Jim?" Judy asked.

"Good question, darlin'. I guess I'll have to get some huntin' in to figure that part out."

* * *

Hapgood was already in camp, flirting with Judy when Don and John came back for lunch. "So, when am I going to hear the story about the pretty Tauron girl, Jim?" Judy asked.

"When I get good and drunk," Hapgood replied, "and that's not bound to happen around here. Now, if you ever care to visit me in Travelin' Man, I have a bottle of…"

"What's this about visiting, Jim?" Don asked as he eyed Judy.

"We were just talking about Jim's Tauron stories," Judy explained.

"And that naturally led to visiting his ship so you could share a bottle of… something."

"Don…" Judy warned.

"I know, I know… no caveman stuff… but, you've got to admit the conversation was a bit… intriguing…"

Hapgood observed their interactions. He knew they were a couple, but he wasn't sure just how much of a couple they were. He never thought he'd ever hit on a friend's girl, but there was something about this one that he couldn't get out of his mind. He hadn't seen such sensual innocence in a long, long time, if ever. He owed it to himself to see if there was any possibility of him and Judy…

Maureen interrupted his thoughts when she brought steaming dishes to the table. "Time to eat. You can trade stories later," she said.

* * *

After lunch, Hapgood and Don started their star charting project, but they compared notes on more than just the stars. "I see some overlap right here. That's where I'll start to input your information into the nav computer," Don said.

"Yup. That's one nice piece of equipment, Don," Hapgood stated.

"Yeah." As Don rolled up the charts, he couldn't resist asking one question. "Hap? Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Depends on what it is…"

"That story about the Tauron girl got me thinking. You've been alone for a long time. I thought Judy might have been the first human woman you've seen since your launch, but, it sounds like there are a lot of humanoids out there who are a just like us."

"So?"

"So, its none of my business… but… in a way it is… but… have you ever…"

"Had relations with some of them?"

Don blushed. "Yeah, that is what I was getting at."

Hapgood stared at him, not sure if he was looking at a friend or a rival. "You're right. It ain't none of your business."

"Okay, then let's move onto something that _is_ my business… Judy."

"And how is she your business?"

"I thought you would have figured that out by now, since she conked you on the head in our fight."

"Well, now… I got a good knock on the head, but I ain't that blind… I can see that you and she got a little thing going."

"It's not just 'a little thing.'"

"I gotta be honest with you, Don. It sure don't seem like it's a big thing."

"Look, Hap, I like you, so I'm gonna be straight with you. I'm in love with Judy. I have been since the first time I met her. I know how easy it is to fall for her, but I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I don't either. And since you've been straight with me, I'll be straight with you. I've been with quite a few females, but none of them have come close to Judy. She's the type of girl a man can settle down with and be content the rest of his life."

"And that's exactly what Judy and I have planned."

"And if that's what Judy wants too, I'll leave her alone. But, until I'm sure of that, I gotta tell you, I'm gonna give it my best shot."

"All right, Hap, if that's the way you want it."

"Yup. I owe it myself."

Funny thing was that Don totally understood. He stuck out his hand. "I can wish you 'good luck' because you don't have a shot."

Hapgood grinned and shook his rival's hand. "We'll see about that."

* * *

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It seemed that as soon as lunch was over and cleaned up, it was time to prepare for dinner. Cooking for eight wasn't any more difficult than cooking for seven, but Maureen and Judy found that they were trying to plan more elaborate meals in order to impress Mr. Hapgood. John noticed right away and wondered what was going on. "Maureen… dessert again?" he asked.

"I thought Jim would appreciate another home-cooked meal," she said.

"But he needs to fit into his space ship when he leaves and he might be here quite a while. Are you going to cook a special meal every night?"

"Oh, no, of course not… just until he gets used to being with us."

Jim walked into camp holding a bunch of flowers and greeted them. "Hey, there! Where's Judy?"

"In the galley, Jim," Maureen replied.

"Thank ya kindly Ma'am," he replied and bounced into the ship.

John crossed his arms and stated, "I don't think you have to worry about that, Maureen. He seems quite comfortable already."

* * *

Judy was indeed in the galley trying to bake a batch of brownies, but something had gone wrong. "Oh, no, burned again!" she lamented. "Don!" she called, "something is wrong with the oven."

He wandered in. "Are you sure it's the oven and not you?" he teased. He backed away when she playfully hit his arm at that remark. "Let me taste," he said. She cut a piece and held it in her fingers for him. He took it in his mouth and savored the touch of her fingers on his lips. "Mmmm… tastes great to me…"

Jim walked in on the scene and caught Don's eye…

"But… I would love anything from your fingers…" Don added.

Before she could react, Jim cleared his throat behind her and said, "Hey there, beautiful," as he held out his flowers for her.

Judy was surprised to see him standing there… with flowers, no less… "For me? Thank you, Jim." She kissed him on the cheek. "That was very thoughtful of you," Judy replied. "I'll put them in water. It'll be our centerpiece on the dinner table tonight." When she turned around to grab a receptacle, Jim smirked at Don, who crossed his arms and gave it right back to him.

* * *

Dinner was a series of one-ups-man-ship between the two astronauts. "I've been flying since I was a kid – Got my license when I was twenty-one," Hapgood said.

"Eighteen," Don interjected.

Jim glanced at him and kept talking. "When we were trainin' back in the seventies, we had these jets, the T-38's… now that was one sweet piece of aircraft."

"Oh, yeah, we all flew in them, Mr. Hapgood," Will said, "They were awesome."

"You mean to tell me the Air Force was still usin' them things?" Hapgood asked.

Don nodded.

"You should have seen the time Don and Judy helped Dad and Colonel Bryce land on a really foggy night," Will stated.

"Oh, he was wonderful, Mr. Hapgood," Penny added. "Dad was flying with Colonel Bryce and their computer board went out."

Will finished the story. "And Judy was flying with Don and he led them all the way into the runway." Will stood and his hand became Don's jet. "Don slowed down to landing speed with Colonel Bryce right behind him, skimmed the runway, and then roared the engine and peeled off so they could land."

Dr. Smith was totally bored up to this point. "Major West landed without crashing?" he asked.

John immediately interrupted Smith before he could get under Don's skin. "By the way, Don, I _still _haven't forgiven you for that."

Hapgood went on, "I never did like flyin' by instruments alone. You gotta use your eyes and your gut in case those instruments cut out…"

"Yeah, me, too, Hap. The reason we went up that night was to force us to fly by instruments." Don reminisced about his buddy. "I think that's why General Bowers ordered me and Tom up. I hated it and he loved it. Funny that Bryce was the one who lost the computer, not me. General Bowers probably wished that it had been the other way around…"

"Not with Judy on board with you! As it was, it still was a foolish thing to do," John said.

"Now, Dad, we've talked about this before. Even Tom said that he never could have done a perfect landing without Don's help," Judy added.

"Yeah, I know, John. I understand your perspective, but I'm still glad I did it, and it was a turning point for me and Tom. He stopped hating me," Don explained.

"Why did he ever hate you in the first place?" Judy asked.

"You know, I'm not really sure," Don replied. "It went back to our days at the Academy. I guess he thought I was some sort of hot shot or something. I loved everything I did there, and I guess he mistook my enthusiasm for bragging. Come to think of it, whenever he saw me, I was working on my car, so he probably thought I was one of those guys who could pull a four-oh without studying."

Hapgood stared at him... "A four-oh?"

"Yeah, but I worked my tail off."

"And you still had time to work on a car?"

Everyone grinned at that remark. Will, Penny, and Judy said in unison, "Datsun 280-Z!"

Don gave a sad smile and said, "God, I loved that car."

"He rebuilt the engine," Will said.

"And did all the body work," Penny added.

"And put in a CD player, had it painted red and even… let me drive it" Judy added with a twinkle in her eye.

"What?" John asked. "You never told me you drove his sports car."

Judy shrugged.

"Now that's real love," John commented.

"_And_ he saved me from being blown up in it," Judy added.

Don turned his smile onto Judy and she took his arm, returning his gaze.

"I have one question… what's a CD player?" Hapgood asked.

That comment drew a good laugh from the family. "It plays music," Penny said. "Just like tapes."

"Maybe we have some of the music you like, Mr. Hapgood," Judy said.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I mean… Jim."

"Well, now, let's see. Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings…" He noticed the blank looks on everyone's faces. "Oak Ridge Boys… Willie Nelson?"

"Oh, I've heard of him," Judy said. "He sang _'All the Girls I've Loved Before'_ with Julio Ingelsias."

"Julio who?"

"I tell you what, Hap, I might have some Lynyrd Skynyrd or Allman Brothers you might like. It's the closest I have to country," Don said.

"All right, I'll give it a listen," Hapgood answered. "Well, I guess I'd best be gettin' back."

He rose and kissed Judy's hand as well as Maureen's. "Thank ya'll again for a good meal."

Don stood and held out his hand. "You gave it a good try tonight, Hap."

"Oh, I ain't given up yet," he replied and shook Don's hand. "It's just goin' to be a lot harder than I thought. Oh, uh, can we work on those calculations tomorrow?"

"Sure – after lunch," Don said. "I'll dig up some music for you too."

Hapgood nodded and left.

"What were you and Jim referring to?" Judy asked.

"When?" Don said.

"Just now."

"Oh, nothing. Just comparing notes…"

"There seemed to be more to it than 'comparing notes.'"

Don shrugged. "Nothing you need to worry about. It's between him and me."

* * *

It wasn't long before Dr. Smith snuck off to Travelin' Man and sought Jim out. "Mr. Hapgood!" he called.

"Zach, what are you doin' here?" Hapgood replied.

"Mr. Hapgood, I couldn't help but notice the… competition, between you and Major West for dear Judy's attentions."

"So, what's it to you?"

"Well, you see - _I - _can help you win her heart."

"I doubt that, Zach. She and Don are a might closer than I first thought."

"Only because the poor girl has never had another choice. Penny and Will see him as a brother, and Judy would too, were it not that he is the only single man available, as I am much too old for her."

"Well, I ain't exactly a spring rooster myself, Zach."

"True, but I can see the attraction, and Judy has always been mature beyond her years. I'm sure a man of more substance and depth than the Major would be more to her liking… if she would just give you a chance."

"And why are you so interested in Judy's love life?"

"I want to see the dear girl happy, Mr. Hapgood. She deserves that. One thing she cannot abide is being told what to do by him. If you were to play on Major West's arrogance, you just might get somewhere with her."

"Hm… well, thanks for the tip. Anything else?"

"Oh, no… just… good luck with the calculations tomorrow. I will pray that a window will soon open up so that those sweet children can go back home to Earth. Good-night."

As Dr. Smith walked away, he thought to himself, _'Conflict among the Air Force ranks… yes that will definitely play to my advantage. Hapgood and Judy become a couple and he wants to take her instead of the children back to Earth. Then the major interferes and I am in the perfect position to take her place. Yes, this may very well work out…'_

* * *

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: It's helpful to have read my Lost Back Story - there are a few references to that.**

**Chapter 5**

Calculations for the next window to Kruger 60 were not going well. "You mean to tell me that I have to wait two more years?" Jim asked.

"I'm afraid so, Jim," Don answered. "There's not another target that you can navigate by until well after the two years."

"Give me that calculator," Hapgood asked. He pressed buttons and apparently came up with the same answer. "Calculations have got to be off. You got a good old slide rule around here?"

Don laughed. "Don't trust technology? I'll be right back." He jumped down the ladder and was back within two minutes with… a slide rule. "Maureen likes to use it, though I don't understand why."

"Give me that damn thing," Hapgood ordered. Ten minutes later, he came up with the same answer. "Hell! Two years… I can't wait around here that long watchin' you and Judy moonin' over each other."

"Already gave up? I'm surprised at you, Hap. I thought you'd hang in there a little bit longer."

"Zach was right… You _are_ arrogant…"

"Smith? Ah, no, don't listen to him… The only thing Smith is interested in is… Smith!"

* * *

How true… At the very moment Smith was talking with Judy about the – competition – between Jim and Don. "Oh, yes, my dear," he told her, "Mr. Hapgood expressed his interest in you and the major suggested that they make a… wager."

"They made a bet? About me? How dare they!"

"Oh, Mr. Hapgood wanted no parts of it, but the major insisted. He claimed that nothing Mr. Hapgood could do would take you away from him."

"I knew they were up to something… that arrogant…"

"Oh, I totally agree, Judith. Major West should be put in his place, if you ask me."

"And I know just the way to do it, Dr. Smith. Excuse me," she said and stomped to her room.

Dr. Smith watched her leave and smiled. The plan was working perfectly.

* * *

Dinner carried an even more competitive air than it had the previous night. John and Maureen looked at each other, clueless as to what was going on among the three 'young people.' Don and Jim eyed each other like two wrestlers in the ring and Judy… Judy walked out of the Jupiter with an air they were not accustomed to seeing.

She had unbound her hair so it flowed around her face and pulled the zipper of her shirt down just a bit lower. Several mouths dropped open when she sashayed up to the table. Both Don and Jim pulled a chair out for her, and she chose to sit by Mr. Hapgood, much to Don's chagrin. He became even more upset as she gave her total attention to the older astronaut throughout the night. "Jim, what was your rank when you launched?" Judy asked.

"They promoted me to lieutenant colonel."

"Oh, lieutenant colonel is higher than major, isn't it, Don?" she asked with her most innocent smile.

Don gave her a tight smile, and asked Jim, "How old were you when you made major?"

"Oh, let me see now… twenty six," Hapgood replied.

"Twenty-three…" Don said with a triumphant grin.

"Well, now, that's nice, but those titles don't mean nothin' out here," Hapgood stated.

"You know, Jim, now that I think about it… you're absolutely right," Judy commented. "Don insists on using it, but since we're out in the middle of nowhere, it really doesn't mean anything, does it?"

Don glared at her. She knew darn well that Smith was the only one who called him major. He really could care less about his rank… _'Smith,'_ he thought, _'Smith has got to be behind this…"_ and he was determined to find out what he'd done…

Judy had once again baked brownies, but this time they were perfect. After dinner, she offered a piece to Jim and held it between her thumb and index finger and offered it to his lips. Jim wondered what had gotten into her, but didn't question his good luck.

After dessert, both Hapgood and Don asked Judy in unison, "How about a walk?"

Judy flashed her most endearing smile at Hapgood and said, "I'd love to, Jim." She stood and totally ignored Don as she walked off. Hapgood took Judy's hand and grinned at Don behind Judy's back.

A smirk was all he could offer back to him. As soon as they were out of earshot, Don pounced on Smith. "All right, Smith. What did you do?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Major," Smith replied.

"Don't give me that, Smith. You said _something_ to Judy to make her flirt with Hapgood… What was it?"

"The poor, poor major… unable to believe that his princess has fallen for the real prince charming…"

Don reached across the table and grabbed Smith by the collar. John put a hand on Don's arm and advised, "Forget it, Don." Dr. Smith stood and scampered away.

John waited for Smith to disappear and told Penny and Will to carry the empty plates to the galley. They he turned his attention to Don. "All right, it's obvious that Judy is mad at you. What did you do?" John asked.

"Me? I have no idea…" he answered.

"You know, Don, yesterday the competition between you and Jim for Judy's attention was rather obvious," Maureen said.

Don sighed… "Hapgood told me that he was interested in Judy. He said that she's the type of girl a guy can settle down with and owed it to himself to give her a try… and the thing is… I totally understand."

* * *

Judy let Hapgood hold her hand, which was more than she ever did with Don in front of her parents. He led her to Travelin' Man and they sat against the rock that Hapgood had inscribed with his name. "Hapgood was here?" Judy asked.

"I leave my mark wherever I go. Remember Kilroy?" he asked.

"Who's Kilroy?"

"Kilroy was here? Back in the 40's and 50's?"

She was still clueless.

"Ah, it don't matter. So, what happened between you and Don?'

"Me and Don? Nothing…"

"Zach talked to you, didn't he."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because he talked to me. He said that you can't stand Don tellin' you what to do."

"That has nothing to do with it. I think you're… charming…"

"Well, thank ya kindly, Miss Judy, but somethin' tells me that ain't why you're here with me tonight. Did Don tell you to stay away from me?"

"No, he wouldn't do that, Jim."

"I didn't think so. Then why are you here, sugar?"

"I wanted to apologize to you."

"For what?"

"For hitting you over the head with that frying pan."

"Ah, you were just protectin' your man,"

"He is not _'my man.'_"

"That's not how he made it sound…"

"Really… what did he say?"

"He said that I didn't have a shot with you."

"He would… Well, Jim, despite what Major West might say, that's not true. I find you to be an intriguing and fascinating man."

"So you don't mind if I sweet talk you some?"

"You can sweet talk me all you want. It will be a nice change from the caveman."

* * *

Don told himself that he wasn't going to wait up for her. He tried sleeping, reading, listening to music, but Judy was constantly on his mind. He finally climbed the ladder to sit in his pilot's chair, but once again it was occupied… this time by Maureen.

Maureen glanced at him as he settled into the co-pilot's chair. "Can't sleep either?" she asked.

"I'm not worried, it that's what you're thinking," Don stated.

"That wasn't what I was thinking."

"Oh… well now you know that I _am_ worried."

"She must be really furious with you, Don… And she has a right to be."

"What?"

"Did you make a wager with Jim?" Maureen asked.

"A wager? Where'd you get _that_ idea?"

"Penny told me. She said that you made a bet with Mr. Hapgood about who would end up with Judy."

Don jumped out of his chair and paced. "I didn't… Why that no good…"

"Don, _what_ is going on?"

"_Smith_ is going on, that's what. I'm gonna pummel him!"

"Stop! You'll do no such thing. Now sit down and talk to me."

Don stared at her. When she was in this mode, there was no crossing her. He obeyed and waited for his tongue lashing.

"Are you saying that you didn't make a bet?"

"Of course not! I wouldn't do that to our relationship."

"Well, Judy thinks you would. What _did_ happen?"

"When Hapgood told me he owed it to himself to go after Judy, I told him that he didn't have a shot. Smith must have told Judy that I made a bet, but it's not true, Maureen. It was more like… 'may the best man win' sort of thing. Do you know what I mean?"

She nodded. "Now I do. This is a dangerous game, Don. Someone's bound to get hurt."

"Tell me about it… That's pretty much what I told Judy."

"She does love you, you know. You have nothing to worry about."

At that moment, they saw Hapgood walking Judy back to the Jupiter – arm in arm. The couple stopped at the base of the ramp and Judy nodded to Hapgood and laughed. Then she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. He turned his lips towards hers… and Judy met them. Don felt as if he had been tossed off the top of the Chariot into the Inland Sea's whirlpool again. He mumbled to Maureen, "Nothing to worry about, huh?"

Maureen placed her hand on Don's forearm in support, but he stood and returned to his room. When Judy entered, Maureen faced her daughter. "Judy… I was getting worried about you."

"Oh, mother, there was nothing to worry about. You know that Jim is a perfect gentleman."

"That wasn't what I was really worried about, Judy. I don't like what you did tonight."

"What did I do?"

"Using Jim to make Don jealous because you're mad at him?"

"Mother! How could you say that!"

"It was obvious, young lady. If you won't admit it to me, at least admit it to yourself."

Judy sat in the seat Don had just vacated. "It… it might have started out that way, but… Jim is really a very sweet man."

"And he is very taken with you, but I thought you and Don planned a life together."

She nodded. "We had, but… maybe it's not the life I really want."

"Judy, think long and hard about what you're doing. A romantic triangle is not a pleasant place to be. Someone is going to get hurt, and you may end up hurting yourself in the long run."

After her mother went to bed, Judy sat for a long time and thought about her evening. She had enjoyed the time she spent with Hapgood. He had a disarming charm that entranced her and he treated her as if she was a delicate southern belle. He talked about finding a little ranch in Texas and raising a bunch of children and dogs while running shuttle flights to the moon. She laughed at that image – dogs chasing children, children chasing dogs – and Jim running after all of them. Then she thought about Don...

She wondered if he was still up and descended to the lower deck. Light was shining through the cracks of his door. She approached his room and stopped. What would she say to him? That she had a wonderful time and was dumping him for Jim? She wasn't ready to make that decision. Did she even owe him an explanation? She decided that her evening with Jim was really none of Don's business and turned to leave. The door slid open before she took her second step. "Judy?"

Her heart almost stopped at his voice and she turned around to face him, but found herself looking at the chain around his neck. She hadn't forgotten the significance of the charm that chain held. She herself had given it to him as a promise… a promise that someday they would make love, a promise that she now wasn't sure she could keep. "Don…"

"I, uh, saw your shadow outside my door. Were you going to knock?"

"Ye-, uh, no… I wasn't."

"Oh. Can we talk for a minute?"

She shrugged and said "Sure," but didn't take his gestured invitation to enter his room.

"I guess it's an understatement to say that you were mad at me tonight," he said.

She adopted her ice princess attitude. "I didn't like the idea of being a trophy that you or Jim would win in some kind of contest."

"Judy, that's not what it was… I know Smith told you we made a bet, but he lied."

"It doesn't matter now, Don."

"What do you mean?"

"I enjoyed my time with Jim. It was refreshing being treated like I was… special again."

Don stayed quiet. He tried to catch her eye, but she refused to be caught. He finally took her chin in his hand and tilted her head to face him. "Are you telling me things are changing between us?"

She jerked her head away from his grasp and turned away. "I don't know, yet… maybe…"

He wondered why he wasn't mad. He felt like he was hanging onto the side of the chariot fighting for his life in the Inland Sea again… but he wasn't angry… He wanted to loosen his grasp and let the waters swallow him whole, so instead of fighting, he reached for the clasp behind his neck and removed his necklace. He took Judy's wrist, placed the tiny trumpet in her palm and then let the chain burying it in her hand. "Here… you keep it until you know what you're doing." He left her standing in the hall and closed the door behind him.

She stared after him and wondered what had just happened. _'If we had been married like we had planned, none of this would be happening,'_ she told herself… _'but… we're not married… and maybe Jim was the reason…' _

Don lay in his bunk unable to sleep that night. He rubbed the empty spot where his charm usually lay. The phrase, _'We should have been married by now,'_ ran through his head like an eight track tape… and it gave him no comfort…

* * *

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The next few days brought a somber mood to the Robinson household. Don had set up a tent near the drilling site and stayed away from camp altogether. He had no idea if he was doing the right thing. Staying away would give Jim the edge, but he thought that if Judy really loved him, Jim could be with her twenty four hours a day and her love wouldn't waver. _'What the hell am I thinking… she's already wavered. Whatever Hapgood's got, she wants it, or she'd be here begging me to come back,' _he thought.

Someone did want him to come back, but, it wasn't Judy. Will and Penny visited Don after he'd been away for three days and asked him why he had segregated himself. Don gave them an honest explanation. "It looks like Judy's falling for Hapgood. I thought I should just get out of their way until she figures out what she wants."

"Oh, Don, you and Judy have been together forever… She's not going to marry Hapgood," Penny said.

"Well, Penny, maybe that's the problem… it's been too long… and we haven't…" Don's voice faded. It wasn't fair to burden the kids with his fears. "Will, did you let Hapgood listen to the Allman Brothers CD I made for him?" Don asked.

"Yeah." Will laughed. "He really liked 'Ramblin' Man.' He said it described him to a 'T.'"

"Was, uh, Judy around when he said that?"

"No, should I tell her?"

He shook his head. "Nah… doesn't matter."

"I wish you'd come home," Will said.

"We miss you, Don. Aren't you lonely up here by yourself?" Penny added.

If he told the truth, he'd have to tell them that he was going out of his mind, but instead he said, "Solitude… Quiet… Makes a man think… You know? It's good for the soul."

"Mr. Hapgood says that's what crying is for… well, for girls," Penny stated.

"And fighting is for men," Will said.

"He says that, does he? Well, I guess he would know… being the inter-galactic traveler and all. How's everybody else at camp? Is Dr. Smith getting in anybody's hair without me around?" Don asked.

"Even Dr. Smith is quiet, Don. It's like you and Judy got divorced or something," Will said.

"And Judy's not happy," Penny added.

"How do you know that?"

"She's been talking in her sleep. She misses you."

"Then why isn't she here?"

"Too stubborn, I guess."

"Well, if being stubborn is more important to her than…"

"You're being stubborn too, you know. You're the one who went away instead of fighting Hapgood for her."

"She's the one who said she's not a trophy in a contest."

"But…"

"No. She has to figure things out for herself, Penny. She's a big girl now. She knows better than to play one man against another."

"Gee, Don, all you have to do is have a kissing contest," Will suggested.

Don burst out laughing. "Kissing contest! Where did you get that idea?"

"I figured if you kiss her, she'd fall in love with you all over again."

Ah, the innocence of youth. "If it were only that simple."

"I think it _is_ that simple," Penny explained. "Will and I were talking on our way up here. We both think that if you would just kiss her, things would be ok."

"Like The Frog Prince? One kiss and she realizes that I'm not a mean old frog, but her handsome prince after all?"

"Will you at least come home for dinner?" Will asked. "Mom said that if you didn't, she was going to come up and drag you down herself."

"Well, she's probably the _only_ Robinson I wouldn't want to tussle with. All right, give me a minute to clean up and I'll come down."

"Don't forget to shave!" Penny yelled after him.

* * *

Dinner was almost ready when a clean shaven Don and the children entered the camp. Maureen greeted him with a hug and John asked about the progress of the drilling. "It's going ok," Don answered, "But it's been slow. I'm gonna go back up there tonight to see what I can do to speed up the process."

"Don, you don't have to do that," John stated.

Hapgood and Judy appeared on the path from his ship and walked into camp hand in hand. Don's eyes followed them and he said, "Ah, yeah, John, I do."

Smith timed his entrance for Judy and Hapgood's arrival. Before anyone one else could say a word he spoke. "Ma-jor… so you've tired of your self-imposed isolation? It was so peaceful here… without you."

"Great to see you too, Smith," Don responded.

Hapgood said, "Howdy, Don." He reached out a hand and asked "No hard feelings?"

Don glanced at Judy and replied, "I wouldn't say that, Hap. Let's just say that I'm… learning to live with things the way they are… for now." He accepted Hapgood's handshake and said, "I heard you liked the music."

"Lord I was born a ramblin' man," Hapgood sang. "Well it ain't country, but…" He winked and said, "I'm learning to live with it."

Dr. Smith interrupted, "Mr. Hapgood, I am so glad you're here. I believe the Robot and I have found another navigational beacon that could point you back to Earth… and it's window is very close."

"Really! Well, let's take a look, Zach… The sooner I can get home to buy me a little Texas spread, the better," he said and kissed Judy on the cheek before following Smith.

John followed the men and Maureen corralled the children to help her with dinner, leaving Judy and Don alone. Don broke the silence first. "You, uh, you look… tired…"

Judy folded her arms against her body as if she was trying to keep her heart inside her chest. "What makes you say that?" she asked.

"The dark circles under your eyes. Penny snoring again?"

"Don't be silly, Don. Penny doesn't snore."

He shook his head. Penny was right. Judy was miserable. "I know that, Judy. It was a joke."

"Oh." She walked a few steps away from him and then turned back. "_You_ look good. You must be sleeping like a baby…"

"It's more like… 'sleeping like the dead.' I've been working non-stop everyday so I'll sleep at night. It's better than staying awake and thinking."

"About?"

"You need to ask?"

Both of them snapped their head up as Jim ran out of the ship. He picked Judy up and spun her around. "I think he did it, darlin'! Old Zach, here, just might have found us a way home."

The children and Maureen were carrying dinner to the table, and John and Dr. Smith weren't far behind her. The children wondered what all of the excitement was about, and Don prayed that he hadn't heard what he just thought he'd heard… "What is going on?" Maureen asked.

"Zach has found a way back to Earth and we can leave tomorrow!" Hapgood exclaimed.

Maureen turned to John and asked, "Is that possible?"

"Oh, I assure you it's quite possible, Mrs. Robinson," Smith interjected. "The Robot checked the calculations himself."

"How could the Robot give you that information if he doesn't have his navigational unit?" Don asked.

"Simple. I gave him the coordinates," Smith replied.

"Don't trust him, Hap… He's up to no-good," Don stated.

Smith made his usual comment. "You irk me, Major."

"John, let me double check them before you send Will and Penny off with Hap," Don suggested.

John nodded, but Hapgood interrupted. "Uh, John, there's somethin' else I gotta tell you. I'm… I'm not taking Will and Penny with me… I'm takin' Judy."

All eyes, including Judy's, fell on him. "What?" she asked.

"John, I'd like your permission to marry your daughter when she and I get back to Earth."

Don felt the blood rush to his head… and his fists. He clenched his hands, but some invisible force held him back.

"This wasn't what I was expecting, Jim," John stated. "That's not what we had agreed to before."

"That was before I fell in love with Judy. We're gonna buy us a little spread and raise lots of kids. I promise we'll send a rescue ship back for you all."

"Judy," Maureen asked, "Is this true?"

Judy covered her mouth with her hand. She thought she was going to be sick. She had no desire to live on a ranch with Jim. What had she done? She looked from her mother to Jim to Don and ran into the Jupiter. Jim wanted to go after her, but John stopped him. "What did you do to my daughter?"

"Now, calm down, John. I ain't done nothin' to her that she didn't agree to. She told me herself that she'd love to go home."

Don's self-control was running dry. "After how many drinks, huh, Hap? Did you open that bottle you had stashed back at the ship?"

"Now that's none of your business, boy!"

Don threw the first punch, and, like last time, Hapgood tackled him, but Don bounced right back up. Instead of swinging wildly, Don uppercut him and connected with Hap's jaw more than once. John let him get in a few good shots and then intervened. Dr. Smith watched the entire scenario with glee in his eyes. This was exactly what he had hoped would happen.

Will helped his father hold the two men apart while Penny ran into the ship to get her mother. Judy hurried out, screaming at them to stop and Maureen was behind her with the first aid kit. Hapgood was furious at Don. "You got no right, boy… She's with me now."

Don yelled to Judy over Will's head. "How much did he give you to drink to get you to promise to marry him? Huh? How much?" Don asked.

"Stop it! Both of you just stop it!" Judy shouted. "I can't stand it anymore." She was sobbing. Her mother was right. Everyone was going to get hurt. "I know… I know this is all my fault… and I've… I've made a terrible mess of things." She wiped the back of her hand across her face. "I… I…" she couldn't keep talking.

John let go of Hapgood and took his daughter in a hug. "Judy… it's all right. Everything will be all right."

She pushed her father away. "No, Dad… Stop saying that… it won't…" Hapgood approached her and tried to put his arms around her, but she shirked away from him. "No, Jim… leave me alone." She stared at Don next, but he made no move to go to her. As far as he was concerned this was her mess and she had to straighten it out on her own… like an adult. He crossed his arms to let her know she was on her own.

"Judy, go in and get washed up," Maureen ordered. "We're all going to sit down to dinner and discuss this like adults. Jim, let me take a look at your lip." He plopped into a chair and Maureen added, "Don, you're next." Don stood his ground and wasn't moving until Judy took charge of the situation.

Judy shook her head and wiped her face again. "No, Mom. I started this and I have to finish it… right now."

Penny handed her a dinner napkin and Judy smiled gratefully as she dried her eyes. Penny had told her about her nighttime murmurings and had made it clear to Judy that, as far as she was concerned, Judy was making a huge mistake being with Hapgood. Judy appreciated her candor, but felt that Penny had the 'limited' vision of child. Judy had yet to realize that her _real_ mistake wasn't in leaving Don. It was in leaving her 'child's' vision behind her.

Judy faced Hapgood. "Jim, I can't go with you."

Hapgood's mouth dropped open. "But you said you would!"

"No, I didn't. I said that your plans sounded wonderful, but I never said that I wanted to share them with you."

"You want to go back to Earth."

"I know I said that. I miss home… I want it to be like it was… before…" her voice broke.

Don's heart cracked a little bit more. He knew she had given up a lot… maybe too much… to go on this voyage. He was as much to blame as her parents… She had decided to remain behind until she had fallen in love with him. A part of him almost wished that she no longer loved him so that she could return to Earth and live the life she had hoped for so many years ago.

Hapgood was down, but hadn't given up yet. "I can get you back there, Judy. We don't have to live on no ranch… just you and me and where ever you want to be is fine with me."

"Oh, Jim, I love you. You have got to be the sweetest man I've ever known."

Don's heart ripped again… it was being held together by a thread.

Judy turned to Don. His eyes glistened, but he was determined not to let a tear fall… not as long as Judy was looking at him.

"I love you too, Don… We've been through so much together…"

Don turned away from her. "Don't…" She placed a hand on his shoulder and he gently pushed it away. "I just… I just want you happy."

Penny found herself crying quietly as she watched what was happening before her. Will turned to her and she saw that he, too, had tears in his eyes. She mouthed the words, 'kissing contest' to him and he nodded.

John couldn't stand seeing his daughter in so much pain any longer. "All right, Judy. It's time to make a choice. Either you stay here with Don or go back to Earth with Jim. There is no middle ground. You have to make a choice tonight."

Judy didn't need to think about it. "Just stick to the original plan and send Penny and Will," she murmured.

"Oh, no, little lady, that ain't good enough for me. I ain't givin' up unless I'm _sure_ you wanna be with him," Hapgood said.

"It doesn't matter whom I want to be with," Judy stated.

Don finally spoke up. "Yes, it does, Judy. I don't want to spend the rest of my life wondering if you should have gone home, and… I want to be sure you're getting what you really want."

Hapgood agreed. "That goes for me too, Judy."

"No, I've hurt people enough," Judy replied.

Dr. Smith started to worry… If Judy were to choose Hapgood now, the major would bow out and let her go. He needed to keep the waters turbulent. "Now, Judy, do not let these men bully you into a decision. Let's eat. It's always better to think on a full stomach. After all, you have until tomorrow to make your final decision."

Penny chimed in. "I know how she can decide right now and she won't need to say a thing."

"Yeah," Will added. "Let's have a kissing contest."

All of the adults, except Don, wrinkled their foreheads when they faced the children. "What?" John asked.

"A kissing contest," Will repeated.

"This is not a fairy tale," John said.

"But it's the best way for everybody to know who Judy is really in love with… including Judy," Penny added with a sisterly smile.

"That makes a lot of sense. Will that satisfy both of you?" Maureen asked the two rivals.

The two men looked at each other for the first time since their fist fight. Hapgood nodded and Don waved a hand and said, "Whatever…" He was ready for this soap opera to end… however it was going to go…

"Judith, they are manipulating you…" Dr. Smith warned.

Hapgood didn't give him a chance to finish. He took Judy in a passionate embrace and pressed his lips against hers. He pressed harder and harder until her back arched. He put his hand behind her head to stop her from falling. When he came up for air, he saw that Judy seemed dazed, and told himself, _'Now __that__ was a kiss.'_ He walked her to Don and his eyes challenged him… _'Try to beat that.'_

Competition was the furthest thing from Don's mind. He and Judy stood face to face, not touching each other. Then he tentatively touched the side of her mouth with his lips and she turned to meet them. His arms slid around her back and her hands crept up his chest and around his neck. The world fell away and their kiss deepened… and deepened… Until, finally, they both needed to breathe and buried their heads in each other's necks, wetting their shoulders with their tears.

"I'm sorry," Judy whispered over and over again. "I'm sorry."

He just held her close.

* * *

To be continued…


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It appeared that one person would be missing from dinner – Hapgood. As soon as Judy's lips met Don's, Jim knew that Don had been right. He never really had a shot.

By the time the couple was crying on each other's shoulders, Hapgood was half-way back to his own ship with Dr. Smith chasing after him. "Mr. Hapgood, I hope you haven't given up your dream of that little spread in Texas… think of it… freedom to do as you please, no wife telling you what to do and how to do it."

"She had me, Zach… had me caught like a catfish on the end of her line… and she threw me back."

"She is young and doesn't know her own mind. If you come back with me, I'm sure we can convince her that one kiss does not foretell a future."

"You're wrong, Zach. Lips don't lie if they ain't spoutin' words. Judy's still in love with him. I ain't takin' her away from that. You go back and tell her for me."

"Tell her yourself." Don said as he and Judy walked to the edge of the clearing arm in arm. Judy left his side, stepped up to Hapgood and reached out to touch his cheek, but he grasped her wrist and held it away.

"Don't touch me, girl," Hapgood said. "You've done enough…"

"Jim, I know it doesn't make things any better, but… I'm sorry," Judy said. "I do love you, but… not the same way I love Don. I know that now." She looked over at Don for support. "You don't have to forgive me, but I wanted to tell you that I know I've hurt all of us and there's nothing I can do to change that…"

Hapgood shuffled his feet. He couldn't look her in the eye without forgiving her, and he wasn't ready to do that.

"Well, that's all I wanted to say and… I hope this doesn't change your plans." She turned away, but Hapgood stopped her.

"Judy, wait…" He risked looking into her eyes and found that it gave him some peace. Despite all that had happened, she still had an innocence about her that touched his soul. He had to be honest and admit that he was partly to blame for the mess they had made. Don had tried to warn him, but he hadn't listened. "Don't beat yourself up, sugar. I'm to blame too. I knew what I was doin'. If anybody deserves our apologies, it's Don." Jim held his hand out and Don accepted. "You tried to warn me, and I shoulda listened. We must have put you through some hell," Jim said.

"You could say that, but I survived…" Don replied. "Hey, let's go eat before Maureen clamors up here to get us."

The three left the clearing and Dr. Smith wondered how his plan had gone so wrong so quickly. He recalculated what he had to do now that Judy was no longer the selected passenger. He assumed that Hapgood would revert to the original plan. Smith would have to deal with the children again – he'd find a way to get on that ship, one way or another.

* * *

Dinner was more rambunctious that expected. The children were glad to have everyone back together. Hapgood saw how much Don was already a part of the family and wondered if the reason he wanted Judy so badly was because he was tired of being alone and wanted to make his own family. He watched Penny and Will and realized that he couldn't take them away from their parents. It would be wrong. He made his decision then and there. He wasn't going home.

* * *

Although they were a couple once again, Don and Judy still had quite a bit of heavy baggage to sort through together. They took a long walk after dinner and both were afraid to speak for fear of disrupting the peace they had regained. Don found a comfortable niche and propped himself against the rocks, nestling Judy against his chest.

Judy touched his cheek. "Don? How can you forgive me?"

He shrugged and looked into her eyes. "I don't know." He smiled, "Must have something to do with being in love with you."

"I never stopped loving you…"

"I didn't think you could fall out of love with me _that_ fast, but… I gotta tell you, I was scared."

She closed her eyes to hold back the tears and hugged him tighter. He caught a tear with the edge of his finger just as it trickled out of the corner of her eye and kissed her forehead. "Judy, about going back to Earth…"

"Just wishful thinking, Don."

"That's just it… How much do you _'wish'_ for it to happen?"

"Without you? Not at all."

"Suppose we could _both_ go back?"

"Don, that's not possible."

"Suppose it was?"

"Would I go back as an officer's wife or as an actress?"

"Which would you want?"

"As an officer's wife who is also an actress."

"It's tough for military wives to have high profile careers. We'd probably rarely be together."

"Then I wouldn't want to go back at all."

"So, if you had to choose between me and acting…"

"I already chose, Don… back before we lifted off…"

That was true at the time, but Don wondered what had triggered her recent bout of homesickness. "So Hapgood's talk about taking you back and following you on your career wasn't tempting?"

"No. In fact, that was the moment that I regained my sanity. I realized that I couldn't be anywhere you weren't, and acting without having you near would lose its attraction. I don't want the adulation of the crowd if I can't have the adulation of the only man I have ever truly loved…"

He stared into the blue depths of her eyes. He _had_ to kiss her, so he leaned down and took her lips. Her passionate response took the thread that held his heart together and sewed a perfect blanket stitch to the top.

"Don, I'd like to give something back to you, if you'll accept it."

He knew what was coming. She sat up and slipped his chain out from under her shirt. She undid the clasp and held it in front of him. "Would you accept this from me again?"

He nodded and she snapped it back around his neck. It lay in the comfortable spot that had felt so empty the last few days. His heart was now fully mended "I, uh, I suppose I don't get to play the trumpet tonight, do I?"

She blushed. "Do you want to?"

"I'd love to… but…"

"My parents?"

"Your parents, the kids…"

"So when will we?"

"When you're ready."

"And you think I'm not?"

How could he say this without upsetting the balance again. "Judy, I think you took a huge step towards adulthood tonight." He waited for a reaction.

"You're right…"

"Do _you_ think you're ready?"

"I know I want to…"

"But are we both ready for the consequences?"

"Like what?"

"Your parents' reaction for one thing… and… the possibility of having children for another."

"Maybe it's about time my parents saw me as a grown woman."

"Do you think mom and dad would be happy with their good little girl coming back to camp, a _tainted_, grown woman?"

"Don, we love each other – I wouldn't be _'tainted.'_"

"Maybe _I'm_ the one who couldn't handle that. I love you enough to marry you, Judy. You know that."

"So?"

"So, why don't we get married?"

She stared at him, her eyes wide open.

"You know, come to think of it… I never asked you properly." He scrambled to a stand and moved her to sit on a low rock. He knelt on one knee and took her hand in his. "Judy… will you marry me?"

She looked down at the trumpet charm and up to his eyes… wondering how she could ever have doubted their love because she knew that there was only one possible answer. "Yes, Don… I will…"

He kissed her finger where an engagement ring should be and pulled her into an embrace. Their lips found each other again and this time, they didn't come up for air as they breathed life into each other.

* * *

As much as they wanted to stay and play some horn music, they chose to return to camp and announce their intentions to Judy's parents. On their way back, they ran into Dr. Smith who was packed and walking towards Hapgood's ship. "Smith! Where do you think you're going?" Don asked.

"Just checking on Mr. Hapgood to be sure he is all right, Major. After all, you dealt him quite a blow this evening. As you and Judy blithely left to follow your dreams, Mr. Hapgood was left with a broken heart," Smith replied.

"And, uh, of course you needed a suitcase to be sure that his heart was broken enough to take you back to Earth instead of the kids."

"The suitcase? Well it's… it's packed with Penny's things. I offered to take it to Mr. Hapgood's ship since I was on my way there."

Don reached out and snapped the suitcase open in one motion. Dr. Smith's clothes fell to the ground. "Dr. Smith," Judy said, "How could you? You can't take Penny and Will's place."

Smith defended himself. "_You_ were going to…"

"I never planned to go with him. He just assumed too much," Judy replied.

"Besides, Smith," Don stated, "I'll bet you a month's worth of chores that Jim isn't going back to Earth."

Both Smith and Judy looked at him in surprise. "What ever do you mean?" Smith asked.

"Well, if I were Hapgood, and we _are_ a lot alike," Don explained. "I wouldn't go back at all if I thought Alpha Control would force me into retirement. Why go back to what you've known when there's so much more of the galaxy to explore?"

At those words the roar of an engine filled the air and Travelin' Man lifted-off with a blaze of fire at its back. Don grabbed Judy's hand and they ran back to the Jupiter, leaving Dr. Smith standing there blubbering about how could Hapgood have left without him. When they entered the Jupiter, John was on the communicator speaking with Jim.

"I'm sorry, John. If any family can make it out here in space, it's yours. I just couldn't take them kids away. They belong with you and Maureen… and Judy and Don too. Tell Don he's as much a part of the family as they are."

John glanced at Don and nodded. "He heard that, Jim. Will you give Alpha Control an idea of what we need to get off this planet?"

"No dice, John. I ain't goin' back. I figured why go back to be put out to pasture… There's way too much out here I ain't seen yet… And Judy, it's not your fault. I reckon I was lookin' for somethin' I didn't have and now I wonder if I even wanted it in the first place. Maybe I just wanted to feel like I was a part of something special, you know? Then I figured… hell, I already am…"

Don gestured for the mic from John. "Hey, Hap. Judy and I want you to be the first to know. We've decided to get married. Thanks for helping us come to that decision."

The rest of the family's mouths dropped open and they stared at the couple. Hapgood chuckled. "You could of saved yourself a lot of heartache if you had asked her a long time ago…"

"Amen to that," John quietly commented.

Don looked directly at John when he responded, "If you only knew… Hap, drop in that cd I gave you before you left tonight. I want to know what you think before you get out of range."

Within a few seconds the lyrics to Lynyrd Skynyrd's classic rock song, Freebird, boomed from his com unit.

"_If I leave here tomorrow  
Would you still remember me?  
For I must be traveling on, now,  
'cause there's too many places I've got to see.  
But, if I stayed here with you, girl,  
Things just couldn't be the same.  
'cause I'm as free as a bird now,  
And this bird you can not change.  
Lord knows, I can't change."_

The music faded and Hap told Don, "I listened to it as soon as I got back to Travelin' Man. I reckon you got me pegged, Don. You know… I hate to lose, but… Judy, I couldn't of lost to a better man. Name a baby after me, will ya?"

Judy wrapped her hand around Don's and brought the mic to her mouth. "Sure, we'll name him 'Hap'… and, Jim, take care of yourself, please?"

"Been doin' that all my life, little lady. I ain't about to stop now. Well, **it's gettin' kinda busy out here. There's a nova comin' in. It's all purple and silver and gold. Whoo-whee… look at it go, boy! I'm gonna get back to you later. Whoo-whee!"**

Maureen smiled at her daughter and future son-in-law**. "We're not through with living either. **We have a wedding to plan. **Ya-hoo!"**

* * *

The End…


End file.
